Benefit concert held for Newtown school shooting victims

A concert was held in West Hartford Sunday night for the victims of the Newtown tragedy.

Adam Lanza had two pistols and an AR-15 when he entered Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14 and in just a matter of minutes, he fired multiple rounds killing 20 children and six adults. Before the school shooting, he shot his mother four times.

Music filled up Saint Thomas the Apostle Church Sunday night. The pews were filled with people who were there to show their support for their neighbors in Newtown with donations being collected for family members of the 26 victims.

Earlier in the evening, a large group was down the street at St. John's Episcopal Church where a violence prevention forum was hosted by Rep. John Larson, D-CT.

People debated both sides of the issue.

"Let's be aggressive in our approach. Let's go out and put a little risk," said one unidentified person at the forum. "Because if there's no risk, that means your limiting yourself in what you can actually do."

"The Second Amendment is not about hunting, but one thing it is about is overthrowing our government if it oppresses our rights," another person responded.

Recently, the National Rifle Association stated that instead of a ban on guns that every school should have an armed person on grounds. Larson disagrees and wants congress to re-enact the assault weapon ban which expired in 2004.

Larson said he also wants to ban large ammunition clips and would like to see universal background checks which delve into someone's mental history. He believes if something isn't done, there's no preventing another massacre such as the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

"This was a God awful tragedy that occurred in Newtown but as several have spoke today, these incidents of violence take place in our cities," Larson said. "You heard one gentleman say almost weekly."

Supporting the congressman was a woman who only identified herself as "Patty." She is a widow of one of the eight men who were killed at the Hartford Distributors Plant two years ago.

"We have a huge problem on our hands and we do need to speak to our youth. I have young nephews at home who are suffering from PTSD from what took place to what happened to their uncle," Patty said. "These issues need to be addressed, we need to talk to our children, we have to stop it somewhere and I'm here whenever, wherever you need me."